This is a short history of colonization of the Lakotah to explain why our people do not make efforts at self-sufficiency.

1. The United States outlawed our religion, our spirituality. Outlawed it. Out people were sent to prison if they caught practicing our ways.

2. They rounded up our children, all of our children, for over 80 years and forced them into government and religious boarding schools. These utilized corporal punishment and mental and physical torture. They worked to erradicate our language and our songs. To forcefully teach us that our parents and grandparents were nothing more than stupid, savage pagans. That education goes on today.

3. The Constitution of the United States of America does not apply to any American Indian living on an federally recognized American Indian Reservation in the united states. Therefore we haven’t any Constitutional protections against anyone or anything. We are not permitted on the reservation to econmically develop. Hence, our over 80% unemployment. We cannot test our water officially for uranium poisoning or arsenic poisoning or any other type of minerals or heavy metals. We can test for E Coli & harmful bacteria. We are ‘allowed’ 4 tests for those items.

4. We suffer under the agriculture’s department’s starchy food program which is dispersed to us on a monthly basis. The alledged 10s of 100s of millions of dollars spent on the Lakotah is actually not spent on us. We are allowed to touch it, as it flies through the reservation to the white man that surrounds us. We are permitted to own gas stations and convenience stores, where most people shop. We have one grocery store on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, which is directly across the street from where the Bureau of Indian Affairs and nearby where Indian Health Service Hosptial employees work.

5. We have one Catholic High School, one Bureau of Indian Affairs High School, and two Tribally Controlled/BIA/No Child Left Behind High Schools. over 95% of the High School students have expressed the desire and the intention to leave the reservation as soon as possible. We have the Oglala Lakotah College, whose curriculum is designed to encourage graduates to leave the reservation. After over 80 years of these policies they have successfully destroyed our families, and our communities. Our entire culture is on the brink of extinction. The vast majority who remain on the reservation have crushingly low self esteem and no will to better themselves. The Christian Churches are vultures feeding off the carcases of our poverty. And they are very rich.

This list is a microcosm of the colonial and genocidal tactics fostered and developed by the government of the United States of America. For the above reasons and more is why we are asking for investment into our children, and investment in our self-determination. We welcome all opportunities for individuals to assist and lend their efforts to counter these effects and improve the conditions our people are struggling against.

As the last of the snows melts back and the turkeys finish up ruffling their feathers, the T.R.E.A.T.Y. School Summer Build has begun.

We wanted to let you know some of the progress to date and what we are looking forward to in the coming months at the T.R.E.A.T.Y. School & Ranch.

Completed tasks to date:

-T.R.E.A.T.Y. Dorm site finalized.
-Project Leads for Earthen Brick Dorm Construction & Completion of T.R.E.A.T.Y. School Tipi finalized.
-1/2 acre Garden site cleared of weeds as part of the spring burn-off. Returned ashes and coffee grounds to the earth. Removed fencing enabling us to TRIPLE! the size of the garden.
-Garden half plowed, with remainder of plowing & field tilling to follow this week (Thanks to Bo, Brady & Dwayne who brought over the Tom Cook’s Tractors!)
-Volunteers scheduled with specialties ranging from Plumbing, Construction and Electrical work to Permaculture and Mold Remediation experts.
-Cleared fence-line of fallen trees after recent blizzards.

–Schedule for the Summer Build–

May 15th – May 30th: Spring Planting & Pre-Build

-Spring Planting
We will be planting corn, beans and a variety of veggies including tomatoes, eggplant, melons & cucumbers, as well as sweet and hot peppers. We are looking to get three to six individuals to join us for 1 to 2 week periods. We will be planting according to prevailing winds and weather patterns. Individuals who arrive will be asked to bring a tent, with meals provided. If interested, please contact David immediately at the following email: build )at( treatyschool (dot) org. During this time we will also be cutting wood for community elder’s wood stoves as well as restoring fenceposts & fencelines.

-We will also be having our Pre-Build Meeting for the Earthen Brick Dorm & Tipi Completion. In addition to our current team, we are seeking an additional architect and/or engineer for our Earthen Brick Dorm Project who will be able to come out to the ranch for one weekend in Late May to meet with our planning team. During this weekend, they will collaborate on the design of the Earthen Brick Dorm & participate in soil sampling. Afterwards they will work with our team to assist with the layout and planning of the structure. Internships are being sponsored for these positions.

July 1st – August 31st: Dorm, Tipi & Energy

T.R.E.A.T.Y. School Dorm:

Initial Rendering

3d Rendering on T.R.E.A.T.Y. School Grounds

-The seven-room building will be constructed out of Compressed Earthen Bricks, a low carbon, low cost design. It will use concentrated solar thermal heating within the floor and be partly constructed from salvaged and recycled metals. The build for the Earthen Brick Dorm will commence on July 1st and continue through the end of August.

30 Second Flyover Rendering
A 3-D, 360 Degree Rendering of the Completed Earthen Brick Dorm on the T.R.E.A.T.Y. School Grounds.

Completion of Tipi Interior:

-Completion of the electrical, plumbing and finishing work within the T.R.E.A.T.Y. School Structure in July. Completion of second floor loft and easement in basement to allow for multiple exit points. Between the Earthen Brick Dorm and the Tipi Completion, we are looking for a total of 25 volunteers to work 2 to 4 week assignments throughout July & August. Experienced Carpenters, Plumbers and Electricians are preferred, but what we will most need are motivated, reliable and responsible persons who are willing to get their hands dirty and help get the project completed.

-Assistance with materials. We will need your assistance with procurement of electrical, plumbing and construction materials. We are currently seeking gift cards and donations for Home Depot & Lowe’s. By June 1st, we will have a complete inventory of needed materials and will distribute at that time.

Solar & Wind:

-Our goal here at T.R.E.A.T.Y. School is to become electrically self-sufficient by the end of the summer. Initially, we will be working with a small scale wind design with 55 gallon barrels. In addition to this capacity, we are seeking individuals immediately with Small to Medium Scale Wind & Solar experience to help with grant-writing, procurements and installations. Our goal is to also install Solar & Wind installations here on the T.R.E.A.T.Y. School Grounds as well as at the local Head-Start complex and the Senior Center here in Porcupine by September 1st, 2009. Once completed, this will be the first step in a movement to both create local power for the residents of the Lakotah Nation as well as generate much needed revenue and job creation for the local economies.

If you are able to assist with any of these efforts, please contact us so we can schedule your spot as soon as possible.

David Grefrath – build )at( treatyschool (dot) org – (605) 867-1111

We hope to see you soon and wish you a very happy summer.

If you can’t make it out, but would like to contribute to the build via Paypal a link is below:

Also, Don’t forget to sign up for, and use, your OneCause Account. By logging on to this account before you buy on-line, The T.R.E.A.T.Y. School will get a donation from of every purchase you make at stores like Amazon.

On April 2nd, 2009, A jury returned a decision stating that Ward Churchill had been wrongfully fired from his position as a tenured professor at Colorado University. The cause stemmed from the publication of his now infamous essay ‘The Ghosts of 9-1-1: Reflections on History, Justice and Roosting Chickens’. After its initial publication, three years passed until a section of the essay entitled ‘Some People Push Back’ was brought to light by a college newspaper reporter that the essay came under public criticism and caused the circumstances under which Churchill was subsequently fired.

In the full text, Churchill contends that the events of September 11th, 2001 were made inevitable by a foreign policy that puts the rights of corporations inexorably in front of the rights of people, histories or environments, and that the systemic amnesia engendered and perpetuated within the system is its own form of culpability.

Citing the failures of popular movements to cease the sanctions in Iraq during the 1990s, abolish the WTO or its colluding powers at the IMF/World Bank, he charges the left with acquiescing to state powers in deference to that which is comfortable and secure. The phrase, ‘Little Eichmans’ is largely credited for having drawn attention to the essay, a curious objection as the phrase itself was borrowed from a John Zerzan article, published in 1997.

The jury found for Churchill’s suit and held CU liable for the costs of his legal team and an additional one dollar.

The proceedings come at a time of increased scrutinity of college professors. From Norman Finkelstein’s being denied tenure, to Dr. Cornell West’s somewhat fiery departure from Harvard for Princeton, the high halls of academia have held witness to more power struggles than usual of late. The common thread underlying them all though would seem to be a charge of anti-zionism leveled at all the actors involved here. Finkelstein wrote ‘Beyond Ghutspa: On the Misuse of Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History’ and West chose to leave Harvard after a public row with Larry Summers, a man who equates Anti-Zionism, the refusal of the State of Israel to exist, and Anti-Semitism, the racist bigotry towards a Jewish person. All three, Churchill, Finkelstein and West are all outspoken critics of US Foreign policy, vis-a-vis Palestine. All three have faced massive scrutiny that others in their fields are hardly ever subject to.

The case in point, Churchill was a tenured professor, but was abruptly demonized at the hint of equivalency of complicity of those who oversaw speculative investing and those who who punched tickets for Auschwitz victims. To be sure, there is a very real difference between the two, but what of those who ran the books for the SS? What of those who currently oversee the World Bank funding of dams that have flooded out perhaps 60 million people in India. Tens of thousands of these were farmers who have now committed suicide. What of the one million farmers displaced by US agribusiness in Mexico in the last 8 years who have no choice but to leave their villages and either enter a sweatshop or take the uncertain road north? The US does not send any of these people to be incinerated, but what level of collusion is acceptably equivalent? At what point will the American or even the progressive voices in America cease being voices and become actions in solidarity against such practices? Until Americans, and in particular those Americans who know something is wrong, answer this question, there will continue to be rhetoric, but no response, and the chickens are still out in the field, waiting to come home.

For Churchill, he has been proved triumphant against the school system that fired him. Unrelenting, he is now seeking the school to either reinstate him or award him one million dollars in damages. A Denver District Court Judge will decide within 30 days of the ruling whether additional damages will be awarded.

Churchill v. University of Colorado:

The (Former) Governor
Takes the Stand

by J. Robert Brown

Former Governor Bill Owens was on the stand for a couple of hours. Not long after the 9/11 essay surfaced, the Governor called on CU to fire Churchill.

David Lane’s main point was to show that the Governor, with line item veto authority over the University of Colorado, applied pressure to get the University to fire Ward Churchill.

The jury heard the former president of CU, Betsy Hoffman, describe a conversation with the Governor where she said he told her to fire Ward Churchill “tomorrow,” that his tone was “threatening,” and that if she didn’t he would “unleash his plan.”

Governor Owens did not specifically recall the conversation but doubted that it was not “in that tenor” and that he did not have a “plan.”

Later, when a partial transcript of an interview on the O’Reilly Factor was put up on the screen, Lane pointed to an exchange where Owens denied he had the authority to fire Churchill but then admitted: “I do have some budget authority over the budget.” Owens declined to admit that this was a threat, noting that its a true statement and repeated over and over that he had actually raised the CU budget during his administration.

On recross, Lane asked whether in fact Governor Owens had a “strategy” for CU if Churchill wasn’t fired. He answered in the negative. Lane then pointed to this exchange on the O’Reilly transcript:

O’REILLY: One more question for you. You have basically a strategy, and I want to get this right. You’re not going to pay him off, so he’s not going to get the big bucks. You’re going to go through the lengthy process to prove that he did something that you can legitimately fire him [for], and then he goes — “See you.”

OWENS: That’s exactly right. That’s exactly right. That process is starting. I think it will ultimately result in him being fired.

The quick denial followed by the reference in the O’Reilly Factor caused a slight stir in the courtroom. Governor Owens then repeated that he didn’t have a strategy and that he was merely acknowledging that based on the evidence that he knew, there was sufficient basis to fire Churchill.

Governor Owens did acknowledge in his testimony that he was glad the University had not heeded his advice and fired Churchill immediately after the 9/11 essay surface.

Right Wing Attempting to Bankrupt Ward Churchill

Professor Churchill was fired after a 30 month long “investigation” by the University of Colorado where they dug into all 4,000 pages of his published works and combed through his over 12,000 footnotes! In the end, the investigation finds 7 alleged errors and/or plagiarism.

Since his firing, Ward has mounted a full-scale lawsuit against the Board of Regents of the University of Colorado and now his coffers are nearly empty. PROTECT YOUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS!

Detailed Chronology of Events:

Sept. 12, 2001 Prof. Churchill writes an op-ed piece published online by Dark Night Field Notes, giving a “gut reaction” to possible causes of the Sept. 11 attacks. This is later expanded and published as On the Justice of Roosting Chickens: Reflections on the Consequences of U.S. Imperial Arrogance and Criminality (AK Press, 2003). Neither receives much public attention.

January 26, 2005 A Syracuse, NY newspaper discusses Prof. Churchill’s scheduled lecture at Hamilton College sponsored by the Kirkland Project for the Study of Gender, Society and Culture. The Kirkland Project had already been targeted by various rightwing organizations, including Lynne Cheney’s American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) and David Horowitz’ Center for the Study of Popular Culture and its spin-off, Students for Academic Freedom. A well-coordinated campaign at Hamilton had recently succeeded in forcing cancellation of a class which was to have been taught by former political prisoner Susan Rosenberg (who was to speak on a panel with Prof. Churchill).

Within a few days the story, which focused on two words (“little Eichmanns”) taken out of context from the 2001 op-ed piece, had been picked up by AP, newspapers around the country, and highlighted by Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly, who urged viewers to contact Hamilton College. Both Ward Churchill and Hamilton College soon received thousands of calls, letters and e-mails, including threats of violence and death.

Despite initial vows to protect freedom of speech, Hamilton College President Joan Hinde Stewart cancels the program on January 31. She attributes it to security concerns, but it later becomes clear that threats from alumni to withdraw financial support play a major role in the decision. The director of the Kirkland Project is soon removed and the Project threatened with de-funding.

January 27, 2005 With total disregard for the CU’s written policies on academic freedom, Interim Chancellor Philip DiStefano immediately denounces Prof. Churchill’s statements as “abhorrent” and “repugnant.” Two days later Colorado Congressman Bob Beauprez demands Prof. Churchill’s resignation. Beauprez later boasts on the radio that he has discussed the Churchill case with President Bush on Air Force One. Within the week Gov. Bill Owens demands that Prof. Churchill be fired, and both chambers of the Colorado legislature pass resolutions condemning Prof. Churchill and threatening to withhold funds from CU.

February 3, 2005 The CU Board of Regents convenes an emergency meeting. Although billed as a “public meeting,” an undergraduate is immediately arrested for attempting to read a brief statement on behalf of the students. His charges were eventually dropped, but community activist Shareef Aleem faces a sixteen-year prison term for allegedly assaulting officers who attempted to forcibly eject him when he asked why the students were not being allowed to speak.

The Regents issue a blanket “apology” to the entire country for Prof. Churchill’s statements, and accept Chancellor DiStefano’s proposal that he, CU Law dean David Getches, and Arts & Sciences dean Todd Gleeson convene an “ad hoc” committee to determine within 30 days whether any of Prof. Churchill’s public writing or speeches “crossed” some undefined boundary of protected speech. The Regents’ own rules on academic freedom and CU’s internal faculty procedures – to say nothing of the First Amendment – are completely disregarded. CU posts DiStefano’s statements prominently on its website.

February 8, 2005 CU-Boulder students sponsor a speech by Ward Churchill on campus. Interim Chancellor DiStefano attempts to cancel it at the last minute, citing “security” concerns, but the possibility of a federal court injunction persuades him otherwise. More than 1500 people attend; they are orderly and extremely supportive of Prof. Churchill.

Despite on-going efforts by Bill O’Reilly, David Horowitz and his “Students for Academic Freedom,” and even personal communiqués from Governor Bill Owens to College Republican around the country to have his speeches cancelled, during the spring Ward Churchill speaks to large and overwhelmingly supportive audiences at the University of Hawai’i, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, the University of California-Berkeley, Reed College, Pitzer College, the University of California-Monterey Bay, and at numerous public events in Denver and the San Francisco Bay area. President Jordan of Eastern Washington University, then vying for a job in Denver, cancels a talk; he is unanimously rebuked by his faculty and his students bring Ward Churchill to speak anyway. Ironically, only the very “liberal” Antioch College and Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics at the University of Oregon actually cancel scheduled appearances.

February 25, 2005 Nearly 200 tenured faculty members at UC-Boulder take out an ad “demanding that school officials halt their investigation of Ward Churchill’s work. On March 22 this is followed by a full-page open letter endorsed by hundreds of scholars across the country, demanding that the Regents’ and administration’s “utterly gratuitous and inappropriate action[s]” be reversed. During this period thousands of individuals sign petitions supporting Prof. Churchill and hundreds write letters of protest to CU officials.

March 3, 2005 CU President Elizabeth Hoffman warns an emergency session of the Boulder Faculty Assembly of a “new McCarthyism,” pointing out that there is “no question that there’s a real danger that the group of people [who] went after Churchill now feel empowered.” Within 5 days she announces her resignation.

Mid-March 2005 Having bought time with its “ad hoc” investigation of his every word, the University negotiates with Prof. Churchill. He is willing to take early retirement for nominal compensation, but only on the condition that the Regents formally and publicly affirm the University’s processes of academic review and their own rules on academic freedom. They refuse.

March 24, 2005 Interim Chancellor DiStefano, who has never consulted Ward Churchill or even officially informed him of the investigation, publicly announces the findings of the “ad hoc” committee. The Interim Chancellor has discovered, apparently to his surprise, that all of Prof. Churchill’s writings and speeches are protected by the First Amendment. But in the meantime, he states, other allegations have surfaced which require further investigation.

Spring 2005 Beginning in late January the “Churchill controversy” is highlighted by O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Joe Scarborough, and other neoconservative media personalities; a Denver Clear Channel radio station (closely aligned with Fox News) begins devoting 6-8 hours a day to disparaging Ward Churchill, and The O’Reilly Factor highlights Professor Churchill in over 40 segments. The two major Denver newspapers as well as the two Boulder dailies (three of the four now owned by Scripps-Howard) engage in uniformly negative coverage, running 400 stories in the next two months.

This “news” coverage rapidly turns into an all-out attempt at character assassination. The opinions of an ex-wife, former in-laws, and long-term political adversaries are highlighted. Ward Churchill’s driving record, credit history, employment and military record, high school football team, and even baby pictures are scrutinized. One week the theme is vague accounts of heretofore unreported “intimidation” supposedly occurring a decade or two earlier; then supposed misrepresentations of his academic credentials; then claims that he attempted to incite violence. As each set of claims was proven false, reporters simply moved on to another.

The Interim Chancellor now decides to invoke existing faculty procedures and refers numerous allegations culled from this media barrage to CU’s Standing Committee on Research Misconduct (SCRM). One set of allegations concerns Prof. Churchill’s interpretation of the U.S. Army’s participation in the spreading of smallpox to Indians and about the implementation of “blood quantum” requirements pursuant to the 1887 General Allotment Act and the Indian Arts and Crafts Act. A second set is widely characterized as “plagiarism,” although it is primarily devolves from a claim that Prof. Churchill wrote material published under someone else’s name. In addition, Chancellor DiStefano instructs SCRM to investigate Prof. Churchill’s American Indian identity. Disregarding the University’s own rules on confidentiality, the allegations are released to the press even before Prof. Churchill receives them.

Prof. Churchill protests the investigation as pretextual punishment of protected speech and contests the convening of a racial purity board, but provides SCRM with evidence countering each allegation, including evidence that he meets three standard federal definitions of “American Indian.”

April 25, 2005 Predictably the media feeding frenzy (as well as organized rightwing writing campaigns) has resulted in a barrage of e-mails, telephone calls and letters to Prof. Churchill and the Department of Ethnic Studies. For several weeks the Department cannot otherwise function. While many express support, Prof. Churchill and the Department each receive several thousand hostile and usually virulently racist e-mails. Students of color on the Boulder campus experience a heightened level of racist hostility. Prof. Churchill receives a steady stream of death threats and his home is vandalized. The University ignores all of this; the racist attacks are not condemned and the Department receives no additional support or security. The Ethnic Studies faculty finally sends an Open Letter to the Regents and all of the relevant University administrators, requesting support and attaching excerpts of e-mails which are racist, homophobic and threaten violence. Interim Chancellor DiStefano apparently finds these neither “abhorrent” nor “repugnant.” The Department never receives acknowledgment of its Open Letter from any University official.

May 17-19, 2005 The office of the Keetowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Tahlequah, Oklahoma is overwhelmed by media inquiries concerning Prof. Churchill’s status. On May 17 Prof. Churchill learns that, in the face of this pressure, the Band has issued a statement falsely asserting that he was never on the band rolls. Prof. Churchill issues a response documenting his May 1994 enrollment as an Associate Member; on May 19 the Band confirms this fact.

Summer 2005 Having taught an overload during the spring semester, Prof. Churchill also teaches a Maymester course. He wins a 2005 teaching award, voted on by students, but its sponsor (the CU alumni association) withholds the award “pending the outcome of the investigation,” despite the fact that the allegations have nothing to do with teaching.

Early June 2005 The Rocky Mountain News, having put at least 5 reporters on “special assignment” for several weeks, runs a 5-part, multi-page series with its conclusions on each allegation being investigated by the SCRM in its purportedly “confidential” process. The University spokesperson says that only allegations from individual complainants, not news reports, can be investigated. Immediately thereafter, Interim Chancellor DiStefano, as complainant, sends 59 pages of stories downloaded off the Rocky Mountain News website to the SCRM, which forwards the entire package to Prof. Churchill with instructions to answer “any new allegations.”

Late June 2005 Prof. Churchill files a formal grievance with the faculty Privilege and Tenure (P&T) Committee concerning the pretextual nature of the investigations against him and the University’s violations of his academic freedom, First Amendment, and due process rights. He subsequently files additional grievances concerning the University’s persistent violations of confidentiality and its refusal to grant him a sabbatical. He is eventually informed that the P&T Committee will only consider the grievances about the investigative process after the process has been completed.

August 19, 2005 The SCRM completes its “inquiry” phase. It drops or disregards numerous allegations, including the charge of “ethnic fraud,” but forwards seven allegations for “investigation.” These involve matters of historical interpretation (Prof. Churchill’s attribution of intentionality with respect to two smallpox epidemics and his characterization of the blood quantum requirements of the 1887 General Allotment Act and the 1990 Indian Arts and Crafts Act) and questions of attribution of authorship regarding three articles (one he never claimed authorship of; another a pamphlet which a long-defunct political organization had asked him to use; the third a piece which he readily acknowledged to have ghostwritten).

Late August, 2005 Denver newspapers report that Prof. Churchill is scheduled for a sabbatical in the spring semester of 2006. Interim Provost Susan Avery immediately announces that although Prof. Churchill’s sabbatical had been approved by Dean Todd Gleeson almost a year earlier, she had never forwarded it to the Regents for approval. Prof. Churchill files a grievance and, pending its outcome, announces his intent to “un-bank” two of the six overload courses which he had already taught and for which he was owed the equivalent of “comp time.” In October Dean Gleeson refuses to allow Prof. Churchill to un-bank more than one course in the spring. He states that this is because Prof. Churchill needs to be present on campus, but then contradicts himself by suggesting that Prof. Churchill take an unpaid leave. After Prof. Churchill notifies University officials that he will file suit, they concede that he can un-bank courses in the spring and fall of 2006.

Fall-Winter 2005 The SCRM appoints the investigative committee. Because of the poisoned atmosphere within the University, Prof. Churchill requests an entirely external committee including experts in his field of American Indian Studies. Given the prior actions of law dean David Getches, Prof. Churchill specifically objects to the inclusion of CU law faculty. SCRM chair Joseph Rosse appoints a committee dominated by 3 CU insiders and chaired by a CU law professor. The two outside members include an American Indian Studies expert and a native professor of federal Indian law. Local media pundits immediately begin bashing the two outsiders for having previously made general statements acknowledging the importance of Prof. Churchill’s work. Within 48 hours the two outside members resign, leaving the committee without an expert in the field and without any persons of color. Two additional members are eventually appointed, a white federal Indian law scholar and a Chicano anthropologist. The committee proceeds without any American Indian scholars or experts in American Indian studies.

Winter-Spring 2006 Prof. Churchill submits voluminous responses to and meets with the investigative committee. Because of the committee’s lack of knowledge of the field, much of his time is devoted to basic questions of history and methodology. Four American Indian scholars appear as witnesses to confirm his interpretation of historical matters, as well as the methodology and standards employed in American Indian Studies and in native oral traditions. The committee refuses Prof. Churchill’s repeated requests for extensions of time to submit responses, and only allows him to question witnesses – even his own – by typing questions and e-mailing them.

May 16, 2006 The investigative committee issues an obtuse 124-page report which, despite its many concessions to the flaws in the process, concludes that Prof. Churchill did engage in research misconduct on the seven allegations. Contradicting the evidence presented by all of the American Indian witnesses, the entirely non-Indian committee accuses Prof. Churchill of “disrespecting” American Indian oral traditions. The committee concludes that these are offenses for which a tenured faculty member can be fired, and the members recommend that Prof. Churchill be terminated or suspended for several years. The severity of recommended sanctions appears to be a result of what the report describes as Prof. Churchill’s “bad attitude.” The report was immediately criticized on many grounds, substantive and procedural. (Click here for problems with the report.)

June 16, 2006 Interim Chancellor DiStefano, who has thus far publicly condemned Prof. Churchill, convened an inquiry into “every word” he has published or publicly uttered, solicited allegations and then forwarded them to the SCRM as “complainant,” now serves as sentencing judge, sanctioning the investigative committee’s report and recommending that Prof. Churchill be fired. DiStefano, too, cites Prof. Churchill’s “attitude.”

April 11, 2007 A review panel convened by CU’s Privilege & Tenure (P&T) Committee concludes that but for the “controversy” over Ward Churchill’s statements regarding 9/11 the investigation would not have occurred. It also finds that the SCRM Investigative Committee “exceeded its charge” in a number of cases, and that the University failed to meet its burden of proof on others, including the claims about misrepresenting the blood quantum requirements of the General Allotment Act of 1887 and the 1990 Indian Arts and Craft Act.

Nonetheless, the P&T Panel concludes that Prof. Churchill engaged in research misconduct on some specifics concerning the 1837 smallpox epidemic, and failed to comply with (unspecified) standards concerning author attribution. The majority of the Panel recommends a 1-year suspension.

May 10, 2007 Research misconduct complaint against the SCRM Investigative Committee filed by 11 professors, including 2 experts in American Indian Studies alleging deliberate falsification and fabrication in their Report. (Never investigated by CU.)

May 28, 2007 Another set of research misconduct allegations filed against the SCRM Committee by 5 professors and 2 attorneys. (Never investigated by CU.)

June 7, 2007 CU President Hank Brown refuses to recuse himself from Ward Churchill case despite his longstanding ties to ACTA. He then overrides the P&T Panel to recommend to the Regents that they fire Ward Churchill.

July 10, 2007 A P&T review panel belatedly addresses a grievance filed by Ward Churchill in September 2005 regarding the University’s violations of its own rules on confidentiality. The panel concludes that “the actions by the University regarding the SCRM process and press releases/conferences violated Churchill’s confidentiality. In addition, the panel finds that further harm to Churchill’s reputation was done by the delay in hearing his grievance by the Privilege and Tenure Committee.”

July 10, 2007 Churchill fired by Board of Regents

This finding, of course, comes too late to redress any of the harm caused by these breaches of University rules.

July 12, 18, and 19, 2007 Still more research misconduct complaints are filed against the SCRM Investigative Committee. (Never investigated.)

July 24, 2007 The Regents of the University of Colorado vote 8-1 to fire Ward Churchill. Only Regent Cindy Carlisle votes to accept the P&T Panel’s findings.

July 25, 2007 David Lane immediately files suit to vindicate Ward Churchill’s rights under the First Amendment.

March 9-27, 2009: Churchill v. University of Colorado scheduled for trial in Denver State Court.

TREATY School Update #3

Dear Fellow Freedom Lovers and T.R.E.A.T.Y. Total Immersion School Supporters,

We have received many inquires as to the status of the school project so we are writing today to share a fuller update than the previous two. Over the last several years, Russell and Pearl Means have laid a solid foundation for this project, including traveling to New Zealand to investigate the Total Immersion educational philosophy in action.This method of preserving indigenous cultures has been very successful there. “In the early 1980s, the Maori people of New Zealand began a dynamic language revitalization movement. The establishment of Maori immersion programs in state funded schools constituted one major aspect of the movement.

In 1985, the first immersion classroom of 5-year-olds was established. Immersion classrooms were added year by year as the first class of children progressed through primary school, junior high, and high school. The first class completed the final year of high school in 1997, and students entered polytechnics or university programs in 1998.READ MORE AT:http://www.russellmeansfreedom.com/?p=1051

Achievements to Date:

Purchasing of 160 acres of land.

Phase I Construction of the School Building at a cost of $160,000.00.

Purchase and breeding of “papered” Lakotah bred Mustangs (16 hands) which now number 13 with three more to be born in the spring.

Purchase and remodeling of the Administration building.

Development of volunteers including:

David Grefrath, who now serves as our volunteer coordinator. build@treatyschool.org

Dezeray Rubinchik & Brian Bucher who have been working tirelessly to assemble volunteers and secure funding:
The Better World Project
projectbetterworld@yahoo.com
www.freewebs.com/theprojectforabetterworld
www.myspace.com/projectforabetterworld
215-806-7844

Eric Klein of www.can-do.org who is organizing the construction of the greenhouses.

and many, many generous supporters who have donated time and money to support these efforts.

Next Steps:

We will be finishing the construction of the T.R.E.A.T.Y. Total Immersion School as well as building a prototype of compressed earth, sustainable dormitory building.

Installation of wind turbines.

Construction of two greenhouses to provide a biology lab for the students as well as nutritious foods.

Preliminary 3-D Renderings

T.R.E.A.T.Y. Total Immersion School Energy Plan:

PHASE I – The School Project has been expanded to include a dorm building and a wind turbine. Click to view a preliminary 3-D fly around showing the TREATY Total Immersion School Ranch and Dormitory Building. The dorm will be used to house volunteers and teachers involved with the project. As you can see, there is also a wind turbine depicted on a bluff overlooking the school. This will be a 10 – 30 KW turbine utilizing a micro-hydroelectric plant situated in an adjacent ravine for power storage. Additionally, the turbine is sized large enough to generate excess power which can be sold back to the grid and thus develop revenue for the school.

PHASE II - Here we intend to build a small scale wind farm to both generate endowment money for the construction of additional schools and to demonstrate to the local government our expertise. At this phase, we would also begin training a team of local Lakotah to install and maintain the turbines.

PHASE III - Construction of a small, community-based wind farm in the Village of Wounded Knee, which has about 700 residents. This facility would utilize a privately owned grid and be designed to provide free electricity to the residents and generate income for additional projects.

PHASE IV – Here we plan to develop a full-scale commercial wind farm adjacent to the 115,000 volt power transmission line which runs east/west through the Pine Ridge Reservation. We intend to form a Lakotah energy cooperative which would sale power via contracts, thus bypassing the local power monopoly on the web. IF WE CAN MANIFEST THIS VISION, this Phase will generate enough revenue to begin the construction of the approximately 100 Schools which will be needed to serve all 13 Lakotah Reservations!

We are currently in negotiations with the Renewable Energy Institute affiliated with Texas Tech Univesity to add professional expertise to our team. Additionally, we are in contact with several wind turbine companies seeking both technical assistance and partners for joint ventures.

By making YOUR USUAL on-line purchases through OneCause.com, a portion of what you spend is donated to the TREATY Total Immersion School on the Pine Ridge Sioux Indian Reservation. There is NO added expense for you to use this service.

Preliminary 3-D Renderings

Dear Friends,We have lots of progress to report on the development of the T.R.E.A.T.Y. Total Immersion School:

PHASE I – The School Project has been expanded to include a dorm building and a wind turbine. Click to view a preliminary 3-D fly around showing the TREATY School Ranch and Dormitory Building. The dorm will be used to house volunteers and teachers involved with the project. As you can see, there is also a wind turbine depicted on a bluff overlooking the school. This will be a 10 – 30 KW turbine utilizing a micro-hydroelectric plant situated in an adjacent ravine for power storage. Additionally, the turbine is sized large enough to generate excess power which can be sold back to the grid and thus develop revenue for the school.

PHASE II - Here we intend to build a small scale wind farm to both generate endowment money for the construction of additional schools and to demonstrate to the local government our expertise. At this phase, we would also begin training a team of local Lakotah to install and maintain the turbines.

PHASE III - Construction of a small, community-based wind farm in the Village of Wounded Knee, which has about 700 residents. This facility would utilize a privately owned grid and be designed to provide free electricity to the residents and generate income for additional projects.

PHASE IV – Here we plan to develop a full-scale commercial wind farm adjacent to the 115,000 volt power transmission line which runs east/west through the Pine Ridge Reservation. We intend to form a Lakotah energy cooperative which would sale power via contracts, thus bypassing the local power monopoly on the web. IF WE CAN MANIFEST THIS VISION, this Phase will generate enough revenue to begin the construction of the approximately 100 Schools which will be needed to serve all 13 Lakotah Reservations!

We are currently in negotiations with the Renewable Energy Institute affiliated with Texas Tech Univesity to add professional expertise to our team. Additionally, we are in contact with several wind turbine companies seeking both technical assistance and partners for joint ventures.

Republic of Lakotah

TREATY School Build Project Update by Dezeray Rubinchik

Friends,

As the progression continues in the T.R.E.A.T.Y Total Immersion School building project, we bring you updates from the grounds of Porcupine, South Dakota on the Pine Ridge Sioux Reservation located in Shannon County.

My name is Dezeray Rubinchik and I am not Lakotah and I do not live on the reservation. I am a volunteer who, like you, witnessed the struggle of this nation and knew that something had to be done to reverse the current and severe struggle of its people. From staggering mortality rates, to soaring unemployment- from inadequate food supply to a dying culture… where to begin.

My organization, The Better World Project, began with a simple commitment and just one other person. Together, Brian Bucher and I vowed to empower communities, feed the hungry and give a voice to those who, in our current society, have none. We do this by holding free food shares in the streets of poor communities across the country, volunteering where hands are needed and communicating to those who cause suffering through protest and outreach. The one concept more than any that we wished to impart on everyone with whom we had contact through The Better World Project’s community works is that:

Any one person who has a desire to make things better, no matter what resources you posses,
if any
Can make a change, a revolution and a huge difference in the life
of many.

And with that ideal to live up to, we headed out into community after community, feeding, caring, working and volunteering and this simple idea proved to be absolutely true, time after time. Thus, when we received word of the state of emergency the Lakotah Nation was in, we decided right away that we needed to do something to help. After communicating with those on the front lines of the fight to save the Lakotah culture and fight for a better future for its youth, we were named Republic of Lakotah Champions, and thus entrusted with the coordination of the volunteer effort to complete the building of the Total Immersion TREATY School.

The T.R.E.A.T.Y. Total Immersion School is an innovative solution to a centuries old challenge:

How to educate our children with joy, respect and wonder.

How to instill in children self-respect and ignite the spark of life long learning.

It is based on the successes achieved by the Total Immersion School experience of the Maori Peoples in New Zealand. This unique program created a revolutionary approach to teaching by focusing on culturally centered private schools for preschool through university for the indigenous population. Total Immersion into the root culture’s language, art, dance, music, science and oral tradition grounded the children in their identity and rich heritage.

The self-esteem engendered through these private schools empowered the Maori children to succeed at the top levels of academia and athletics after they entered public schools. The successes were so remarkable the government of New Zealand adopted the concept throughout the country and established over 180 Total Immersion Schools.

Studies show that the most important years of a child’s brain development and learning patterns occur from infancy to age five. The TREATY Total Immersion School is dedicated to making the most of every child’s early years. TREATY Total Immersion School is designed to create an appreciation and advantage aptitude for learning to help develop the best of the best in every child and provide a long-term advantage at an early age.

TREATY Total Immersion School is not a typical child care or pre-school, but rather an Early Learning Center designed to make the most of the window of opportunity in a child’s brain development for math, science, music, art, second language acquisition, and other subjects.

The students of TREATY Total Immersion School will reverse a multi-generational cycle of erosion of Lakotah language, traditions, and culture. The average age of a fluent Lakotah speaker is 65 years-old on the Pine Ridge Sioux Indian Reservation. Only 14% of the residents of the Pine Ridge Sioux Indian Reservation speak fluent Lakotah.

The TREATY Total Immersion School is located in Porcupine, South Dakota, and students will primarily come from the Wounded Knee and Porcupine districts. Students will be offered an all-day class structure and will be provided with breakfast, lunch and snacks. No families will ever be charged to attend or participate in the TREATY Total Immersion School.

Students of TREATY Total Immersion School will demonstrate knowledge of Lakotah language, tradition, culture, community awareness, virtues, music, math, reading, language arts, handwriting, art, creative movement, science, colors, shapes, sizes, computer plan, dramatic play, pre-writing skills and agriculture. Students, Staff, Parents and the Community will participate in the introduction and of Regional Immersion Education in the disciplines of; Lakotah Botany, Geology, Astronomy, Animal Sciences, Language, History, Oral Traditions, and, most importantly, Songs. TREATY Total Immersion School students will demonstrate high-self esteem, respect for themselves and other people, respect to Mother Earth, and a commitment to life-long learning.

And each day, as we commit ourselves anew to the completion of this most urgent of projects, we ask that you join us in what is no less than a sacred task that holds the future of an entire nation of people in the balance. When we broke ground for the Treaty School, we broke with the hardships of the past and moved closer to, not only the survival of the Lakotah Nation, but the thriving of it’s people, the celebration of it’s culture and the education and inspiration of it’s future generations. Now we call on all of you, from every nation, every city and every corner of this country to join us in bringing to completion this school whose importance goes far beyond the walls that enclose it and whose meaning resonates far beyond the minds that will attend it.

Every volunteer who steps forward, every hand that embraces a tool and every voice that declares its commitment to see this project to its finish contributes to the realization of a confident, inspired and empowered Lakotah Nation. And with that, please remember that:

Any one person who has a desire to make things better, no matter what resources you posses,
if any
Can make a change, a revolution and a huge difference in the life
of many.

Republic of Lakotah

T.R.E.A.T.Y. Grant Writing and Submission Project

Currently, we are estimating completion costs (extensively using donated labor and equipment) at $350,000.00. In order to obtain these funds, we are using a two-pronged approach; 1) Seeking grant money from private foundations and corporations, and 2) Seeking venture capital and other investment money to fund the wind turbine and other energy aspects of the project. This second approach will be addressed in a future update.

Grant Opportunity: 3M Community Giving
IP Address: http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/CommunityAffairs/CommunityGiving/
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” (I’ve left a voicemail with 3M inquiring for information on which grants would be best suited for the T.R.E.A.T.Y Total Immsersion School Project. I expect to hear back on Monday and will update everyone accordingly. )
Grant Opportunity: Adobe Action Grant Program
IP Address: http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/philanthropy/commgivingprgrm.html
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” Round 1 Deadline: January 1st
Notification: February 28th
Round 2: Deadline: June 30th
Notification: August 31st
Additional Info: The Adobe Action Grant program provides one-time cash only grants for general operating and program support through a competitive online application process twice annually. Grant amounts range from $5,000-$20,000 and are for one year only. Organizations are eligible for one Adobe Action Grant per year.
Grant Opportunity: Albertsons Community Giving
IP Address: http://www.albertsons.com/abs_inthecommunity/
Grant Published: “Closed for Application”
Additional Information: Qualified and enrolled schools and non-profit, youth-oriented organizations will receive a Community Partners identification number from Albertsons. Enroll online TODAY!
—Supporters can easily join the program by linking their Preferred Savings Card to the Community Partners ID number for the schools or organizations they choose to support. In fact, shoppers can support up to four Community Partners each time they shop! Join online TODAY!
—–Albertsons will contribute a percentage of each supporter’s Preferred Savings Card eligible purchases to their designated schools or youth-oriented, non-profit organizations.
—–At quarter end, Albertsons will issue a check to each Community Partners school or youth organization for the contributions earned by their participating supporters.

Grant Opportunity: The Annenberg Foundation
IP Address: http://www.annenbergfoundation.org/grants/grants_show.htm?doc_id=210575
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” The Annenberg Foundation accepts letters of inquiry at all times during the year and there are no deadlines.

Grant Opportunity: Bernard and Audre Ropoport Foundation
IP Address: http://www.rapoportfdn.org/grants.php
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” Cannot locate a closed for application date for this grant.
Additional Information: If the request is eligible for consideration, you will be contacted to set up a site visit or to secure additional information. Grants that are eligible but are not funded are either declined or deferred to a future meeting. Your organization will receive notification within two to three weeks after the grants meeting
Grant Opportunity: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (Early Learning Grants)
IP Address: http://www.gatesfoundation.org/grantseeker/Pages/funding-early-learning.aspx
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” Cannot locate a closed for application date for this grant.
Additional Information: Additional grant seeking resources for organizations. (http://www.gatesfoundation.org/grantseeker/Pages/organizations-seeking-grants.aspx)

Grant Opportunity: Carnegie Corporation of New York
IP Address: http://www.carnegie.org/
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” There are no deadlines for application

Grant Opportunity: Charles Lafitte Foundation
IP Address: http://www.charleslafitte.org/applications.html
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” There are no deadlines for application
Additional Information: Grant requests can be made at any time for support of activities related to Foundation program areas and interests. The Foundation funds organizations through out the country but is limited to supporting 501c-3 institutions. The Foundation has no deadlines or standard forms. We prefer concise, well-organized proposals. In no case should the body of the proposal exceed 10 double-spaced pages. The Foundation prefers proposals sent by e-mail. A brief letter of inquiry, rather than a fully developed proposal, is an advisable first step for an applicant, conserving his or her time and allowing for a preliminary response regarding the possibility of support. The Foundation will contact you if we desire a full proposal. Due to the large number of inquiries we are unable to respond to all requests.

Grant Opportunity: Cruise Industry Charitable Foundation
IP Address: http://www.cruising.org/industry/requirements-guidelines.cfm
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” : CICF grant applications should be submitted at the beginning of each calendar year or at the beginning of each quarter. Grant submissions will be reviewed on a quarterly basis for final selection. The full review process may take up to six months.

Grant Opportunity: DB American Foundation
IP Address: http://www.community.db.com/
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” The website appears to be having technical difficulties, but it definitely looks like a great prospect.

Grant Opportunity: Dominion Educational Partnership
IP Address: http://www.dom.com/about/education/grants/grants.jsp
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” The period for accepting on-line grant applications is currently closed. Grant applications will again be accepted in early 2009.

Grant Opportunity: Dupont Grantmaking Activities
IP Address: http://www2.dupont.com/Social_Commitment/en_US/outreach/index.html
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” The committee reviews requests in the spring and fall (usually May and September).
Additional Information: Requests must be submitted in writing and include a one- to two-page description of the organization and the program to be funded, as well as an explanation of how the program relates to the DuPont philosophy of community sustainability. Include an e-mail address for the organization, if possible.

Grant Opportunity: Edison International Education Grant Program
IP Address: http://www.edison.com/community/programs.asp?id=7049
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” The 2008 Education Grant Program is now closed. Please check back in Spring, 2009.

Grant Opportunity: Gannett Foundation
IP Address: http://www.gannettfoundation.org/
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” Please submit your proposal to the local contact at the daily newspaper or television station by February 16th or August 17th to allow time for the local review process.

Grant Opportunity: Goldenrod Research Corporation Grants
IP Address: http://www.goldenrodresearch.com/grants.htm
Grant Published: “Closed for Application”
Additional Information: Goldenrod’s YouthTouch Grant Competion:
Goldenrod Research Corporation has changed the timing of its annual matching grant program. There are now three rounds of competition each year: spring, fall and winter. We hope this arrangement is a better fit for teachers, students and administrators. Deadlines are :

Round I(Spring)……………..May 15th
Round II (Fall)…………………September 15th
Round III (Winter)…………….December 15th
Goldenrod accepts applications year round from schools who wish to become pilot/referral sites for YouthTouch. When awarded, the grants provide 50% of the cost of a comprehensive YouthTouch package. The schools are responsible for matching the other half.

Grant Opportunity: The Goldman Sachs Foundation
IP Address: http://www2.goldmansachs.com/citizenship/philanthropy/grant-guidelines.html
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” With few exceptions, there are no fixed deadlines. The Foundation makes grants throughout the year.
Additional information: Letter of Inquiry
Prospective applicants are invited to explain their ideas informally by submitting to the Foundation a short letter (of about two pages) describing the program or organization for which a grant is sought, its mission, accomplishments, budget size and current funding needs. Documentation of results achieved to date is highly desirable. Submission of published program descriptions or brochures also is encouraged. On the basis of this information, staff will determine whether additional materials are required and contact prospective grantees accordingly.

Grant Opportunity: MetLife Foundation Ambassadors in Education Award
IP Address: http://www.grantwrangler.com/GrantManager/templates/?a=317&z=4
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” Deadline: February 18, 2009
Additional Information: The MetLife Foundation Ambassadors In Education Award recognizes outstanding educators in the public school system. The award honors middle school and high school educators who are building partnerships and communicating beyond their schools for the improvement of the entire community. It is a project of the National Civic League and sponsored by MetLife Foundation. Winning schools will receive a $5,000 grant to build connections between the school and surrounding community, and winning teachers will receive personalized crystal apples.

Grant Opportunity: The Lowes Outdoor Classroom Grant Program
IP Address: http://www.grantwrangler.com/GrantManager/templates/?a=157&z=4
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” Deadline: February 13, 2009
Additional Information: Lowe’s Outdoor Classroom Grant Program provides outdoor, hands-on science education to students in grades K-12 and assists schools in enhancing their core curriculum in all subjects. All K-12 public schools in the United States are welcome to apply. This school year, the program will award grants up to $2,000 to at least 100 schools. In some cases, grants for up to $20,000 may be awarded to schools or school districts with major outdoor classroom projects. The grants can be used to build a new outdoor classroom or to enhance a current outdoor classroom at the school.

Grant Opportunity: HSBC Education Grants
IP Address: http://www.hsbcusa.com/corporateresponsibility/contributions_grants/corporate_contributions.html
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” All proposals must be received by November 1 of each year and those that meet the outlined requirements will be reviewed. Only organizations receiving funding will receive a response in writing.

Grant Opportunity: ING Foundation Grants
IP Address: http://www.ing-usa.com/us/aboutING/CorporateCitizenship/INGFoundationGrants/index.htm
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” Grant Review Schedule
There are four review and funding cycles each year. In 2009, the cycles are as follows:
Cycle I: Submission deadline—January 15th (Grant review: February 2009)
Cycle II: Submission deadline—April 15th (Grant review: May 2009)
Cycle III: Submission deadline—July 15th (Grant review: August 2009)
Cycle IV: Submission deadline—October 15th (Grant review: November 2009)
Organizations will be notified of a funding decision four to six weeks after the Committee review date. The review schedule may change without notice.
All ING Foundation Grant Applications must be submitted online. We do not accept hardcopy or mailed applications.
Click on these links for detailed ING Foundation Grant Guidelines and an online Foundation Grant Application.
Grant Opportunity: John S. And James L. Knight Foundation Education Grants
IP Address: http://www.knightfoundation.org/grants/
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” There are no deadlines to submit an inquiry

Grant Opportunity: Kenneth T. And Eileen L. Norris Foundation Education Grants
IP Address: http://www.norrisfoundation.org/grant.html
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” May 1- June 30
- Applicants will receive responses within five months of window closing dates.
Grant Opportunity: National Grid Foundation
IP Address: http://www2.nationalgridus.com/corpinfo/community/proposal_all.jsp
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” The National Grid Foundation operates its grant cycle on an annual basis from January through December. Proposals for a given year will be accepted and reviewed on a first come/first served basis through October 31. Only one application per organization(or affiliate institution) will be evaluated in any given calendar year. Proposals will generally be reviewed on a quarterly basis after which all applicants will be notified in writing of awards or declinations.

Grant Opportunity: The Lennon Family Foundation
IP Address: http://www.lennonfamilyfund.org/
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” No deadline found.
Additional Information: The Lennon Family Foundation is a collection of donor-advised funds in operation since 2000 that can provide support to IRS-recognized 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations.

Grant Opportunity: Target Community Grants
IP Address: http://sites.target.com/site/en/company/page.jsp?contentId=WCMP04-031821
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” Please visit again between March 1 and May 31, 2009 to apply for a grant.

Grant Opportunity: The Ambrose Monell Foundation
IP Address: http://www.monellvetlesen.org/monell/appguide.htm
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” LOIs (letters of inquiry) may be submitted at any time during the year and are reviewed on a continuous basis (there are no deadlines for LOIs). LOIs should not be more than three pages long.

Grant Opportunity: The Dell Foundation
IP Address: http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/about_dell/values/community_outreach/open_grants?~ck=ln&c=us&l=en&lnki=0&s=corp
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” Timing: Open grant applications are reviewed on a quarterly basis:
Additional information: The Dell Foundation will provide limited open grants year-round to programs and services that fall outside the timeline and scope of the Empowering Youth grant program. Open grants will be for financial, volunteer or in-kind support, limited to $5,000 or less and serve populations in Dell’s principal US locations.

Grant Opportunity: The Educational Foundation of America
IP Address: http://www.efaw.org/apply.htm
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” EFA welcomes Inquiries at any time. There are no deadlines. Due to the volume of requests, staff is not available to determine your qualification in advance of your inquiry submission.

Grant Opportunity: The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
IP Address: http://www.kauffman.org/Section.aspx?id=Education
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” Beginning in 2008, the Foundation’s fiscal year will run from January 1 – December 31 (CY2008);

Grant Opportunity: The Grotto Foundation
IP Address: http://www.grottofoundation.org/appguide.php
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” There has been a change in their program, however, this foundation seems very tailored to what we are looking for. I have been unable to locate on their site instructions for the application process.
Grant Opportunity: The Henry Luce Foundation
IP Address: http://www.hluce.org/genguidelines.aspx
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” Requests for “responsive” or project grants can be submitted at any time.
Additional Information: The foundation seeks to keep its application process as simple as possible. In most cases, an initial letter of inquiry is advised to determine whether a project falls within the foundation’s guidelines. Inquiries may be addressed to the appropriate program director or officer. The foundation’s administrative staff will respond as quickly as possible. No special forms are required, although separate guidelines and deadlines exist for specific programs

Grant Opportunity: The Lawrence Foundation
IP Address: http://www.thelawrencefoundation.org/grants/
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” Grant applications are due either April 30 for our June grant cycle or October 31 for our December grant cycle.

Grant Opportunity: The Sowers Club.com
IP Address: http://www.thesowersclub.com/deadlines.htm
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” Grant applications must be delivered to the Sowers Club of Lincoln by February 15, June 15, and September 15 of each year and must be fully completed before requests will be considered.
Additional Information: The Sowers accept Grant applications three times a year. Please refer to “deadlines” for current dates. You must be have 501(c)3 status for five years to apply for a Sowers grant. Once a grant is submitted, the Grant Disbursement Committee meets and reviews your grant in detail. Their recommendations are then given to the Board of Directors for final approval at their next regularly scheduled meeting. You are then notified by mail whether your application has been accepted or denied. If denied, you are welcome to apply during another grant cycle. This process takes approximately 30-45 days from the deadline date.

Grant Opportunity: The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
IP Address: http://www.hewlett.org/Grantseekers/edGuidelines.htm
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” Letters of inquiry (LOI) typically are accepted at any time during the year in the areas of California K-12 Reform, California Community Colleges and Open Educational Resources (OER). We are not accepting unsolicited LOIs or proposals within the Improving Instruction or Opportunity areas.
Grant Opportunity: The Tiger Woods Foundation
IP Address: http://www.tigerwoodsfoundation.org/grant_deadlines.php
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” There are four grant cycles per year, and grants are awarded every quarter. If you submit a grant application after one cycle has closed, your application will be considered during the next cycle. A list of awarded organizations is posted on the website on the specified award dates.

All grants must be RECEIVED (not postmarked) by the deadline dates listed below:

Grant Opportunity: Tommy Hilfiger Foundation
IP Address: http://www.tommy.com/opencms/opencms/corporate/foundation/grantdeadlines.html/
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” All proposals MUST BE RECEIVED BY April 1 to be eligible for funding July 15, and by October 1 to be eligible for funding January 15.
Grant Opportunity: Toshiba America Foundation
IP Address: http://www.toshiba.com/tafpub/jsp/home/default.jsp
Grant Published: “Closed for Application” NEXT DEADLINE: Large grant applications (grades 7-12) are due February 2, 2009!

“Black Mold” is a term commonly used to describe a slimy, greenish-black substance which can result in serious health risk. This infamous mold is also known as Strachybotrys chartarum and more often as Strachybotrys atra. It has been closely linked to the death of babies from respiratory bleeding, and as a contributing factor to illnesses such as asthma and bronchitis. According to the CDC(Center of Disease Control), this mold is responsible for over “100 cases of lung disorders”.

Virtually everyone has one type or another of mold somewhere in their home. Although not all types are toxic, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish types without lab testing. Thus it is imperative to treat and remove all molds as if they’re potentially harmful. Regardless of the type of mold found, a home containing mold is not essentially a healthy home.

Mold spores are very easily transported to different areas by attaching themselves to various hosts. These hosts would include people, animals, shoes and they even enter through open windows and doors. The spores then thrive and grow where it is damp and moist. Very toxic molds can develop from water seepage, and while black mold is “less common than other mold species it is not rare”.

Areas and substances where black mold can be found include water soaked wood, ceiling tiles, wall paneling, cardboard, even items made of cotton. Black mold can grow on drywall and insulation and can infest areas in the floors, walls and ceilings.

Moisture is essential to the growth of black mold, and when it is wet it is shiny in appearance. If you were to physically touch a spot of black mold, it would feel slimy and would smear on the area.

When you are contemplating clean up of black mold, you need to verify the extent of the problem. Many of the infested areas will be relatively small and be a result of small leaks or plumbing problems. After discovering the root of the problem and rectifying it, you can disinfect the area with bleach. A mixture of one cup bleach to a gallon of water is sufficient to disinfect the area. Apparently adding a touch of dish soap to the mixture will also aid in dissolving accumulated grease and dirt in the area.

You are to apply the bleach mixture to the moldy area and leave it to saturate the area for approximately fifteen minutes. After this you must take care to thoroughly dry the cleaned area.

Spores from dried mold are very dangerous and should be cleaned with caution. You should never scrape or scratch at dried mold as the spores would then be released into the air and pose an inhalation risk. A respiratory mask and eye protection are necessary and adequate clothing to prevent skin contact is recommended.

If the problem is more internal such as on insulation or throughout a carpet, the only solution is to remove and replace the items. As well an infested area of over 2ft is considered a “heavily infested” area and professional help should be consulted. Mold problems resulting from flooding should also be managed professionally to avoid possible health risk.

According to the CDC, there are some preventative measures you can personally take to battle black mold. The following are some of their suggestions; keep the humidity of the house down, make sure there is adequate ventilation inside the home(especially in the kitchen and bathroom), add mold inhibitors to new paint before painting, use mold killing products to clean and do not use carpet in the bathroom.

Black mold issues are something everyone should be aware of and know how to combat. Search through any news source and you will see that toxic mold is a common cause for school closings. If the school board will go through such measures to eradicate the problem then we should be just as cautious. It is also important to remember that like all other types of fungus, there are some people who may be more sensitive to the effects of black mold. People who have allergies, respiratory disease or any type of immune suppressing disease should be especially wary of this toxic mold.